Embrace Community: Inclusion and Tradition

Transcript

Kaylee, a sophomore women’s soccer player majors in Elementary Education. And she’s gonna share with us why everyone here at Ramapo calls this place, “Home Sweet Po.” Take it away.

– Thanks, Alex. Coming from a small high school I knew I wanted to find a college that would support me not only academically, but provide me with a sense of community. After touring Ramapo, I knew instantly that they would provide me with both of these things. Ramapo first made me feel right at home through our Arching Ceremony, our most historic tradition. This is where first year students will meet and proceed through our symbolic Arch and be greeted by our president and upperclassmen. I personally got involved on campus through my involvement with the women’s soccer team. Ramapo’s women’s soccer team had me surrounded by a group of women that not only shared the same love for sport as I did, but the same determination. And I’m now grateful enough to call each and every one of them my family, The Elementary Education program here at Ramapo also introduced me to the community that we have. With me and my peers participating in similar field work, it caused us to rely on each other heavily for advice throughout this process. Ramapo also has several communities outside of the classroom. Students can get involved in many of our centers here on campus, such as our Women’s Center, Queer Peer Services, and our Multicultural Center. These are all great resources for our students to find themselves immersed within our campus. While many believe that graduation means your home at school is ending, Ramapo emphasizes their community even after you leave. Graduating seniors participate in our Arching Ceremony once again at graduation to signify the end of their journey here. Then, even after graduation, we received continued support through Ramapo’s alumni network. When I first came to Ramapo, I could have never imagined the acceptance that I would find myself immersed in and would’ve never thought that it would follow me past graduation. That is why when you’re here at Ramapo, it really is home sweet po. That’s all for me. Kicking it back to you, Alex.

– How incredible is that tradition, Kaylee. Arching when you enter and graduate certainly connects you deeply to Ramapo the community. Also named one of the top 25 disability friendly schools in the nation reinforces that commitment you mentioned. It seems like there’s something for everyone, including a strong veteran’s community, earning gold as a military friendly school. #HomeSweetPo is a pretty popular hashtag on campus, so we all need to go check out those social media accounts very soon. Take care, Kaylee.